PREVIEW: No. 13 Red Raiders ready for Big 12/SEC Challenge
https://texastech.com/news/2022/1/2...d-raiders-ready-for-big-12-sec-challenge.aspxMississippi State at No. 13 Tech | 5 p.m., Saturday | TV: ESPN2
January 27, 2022LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 13 Texas Tech ventures outside conference play to host Mississippi State at 5 p.m. on Saturday in a Big 12/SEC Challenge matchup at the United Supermarkets Arena.
The Red Raiders (15-5, 5-3 Big 12) are 5-3 all-time in the crossover event after a win at LSU, while the Bulldogs (13-6, 4-3 SEC) are 1-2 in the challenge after a victory over Iowa State in last year's games. Tech is coming off a 94-91 double-overtime loss at No. 5 Kansas on Monday night and MSU took an overtime loss at No. 12 Kentucky on Tuesday in games leading into this weekend.
Bryson Williams is coming off a season-high 33 points for the Red Raider at Kansas after going 14-for-19 from the field and 4-for-4 on 3-pointers. Tech currently has five players scoring in double figures, led by Williams who is now at 13.7 points per game this season and 1,900 through 141 career games. Terrence Shannon, Jr. is adding 12.0 points through 10 games played this season, while Kevin McCullar is at 11.0 ppg., Davion Warren is scoring 10.5 after going for 15 at KU and Kevin Obanor is now averaging 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds after a 17-point, eight-rebound performance in Lawrence. Williams is currently second in the Big 12 by shooting 54.0 percent from the field, while McCullar is eighth in the conference with a 3.6 assists per game.
Tech is currently 12-0 at home and has a 14-game non-conference home winning streak going coming into the matchup. The Red Raiders are 10-2 in non-conference play going into their final matchup against a non-Big 12 team in the regular season, while MSU is looking for its first true road win (0-3) and is 9-3 in its non-conference play. Tech's last loss in a non-conference home game came against Kentucky on Jan. 25, 2020 with the Wildcats taking a 76-74 overtime win that snapped a 54-game non-conference home winning streak.
QUICK FACTS
Matchup: Mississippi State (13-6, 4-3 SEC) at No. 13 Texas Tech (15-5, 5-3 Big 12)
Venue: United Supermarkets Arena (15,098)
Tip: 5:05 p.m., Saturday
TV: ESPN2
TV Talent: Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play), Tim Welsh (analyst)
Radio (Texas Tech Sports Network): 97.3 Double T FM
Radio Talent: Geoff Haxton (play-by-play), Chris Level (analyst)
SIRIUS/XM Radio Channels: Ch. 81
Series History: Texas Tech leads 2-0 all-time
Texas Tech – Big 12-SEC Challenge History
Date, Matchup; Location
01/30/2021: Texas Tech 76, LSU 71; Baton Rouge, Louisiana
01/25/2020: Kentucky 76, Texas Tech 74 (OT); Lubbock, Texas
01/26/2019: Texas Tech 67, Arkansas 64; Lubbock, Texas
01/27/2018: Texas Tech 70, South Carolina 63; Columbia, South Carolina
01/28/2017: Texas Tech 77, LSU 64; Lubbock, Texas
01/30/2016: Arkansas 75, Texas Tech 68 (OT); Fayetteville, Arkansas
12/03/2014: Texas Tech 46, Auburn 44; Lubbock, Texas
11/14/2013: Alabama 76, Texas Tech 64; Tuscaloosa, Alabama
NATIONAL POLLS/STAT REPORT
Texas Tech moved up to No. 13 in the Associated Press Men's Basketball Top 25 and No. 14 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll on Monday. The Red Raiders are currently 15th in the nation with teams only shooting 38.2 percent and 18th by limiting opponents to just 60.8 points per game with only three opponents scoring over 70 all season. Tech leads the Big 12 by limiting opponents to only 38.2 percent shooting. The Red Raiders are 17th nationally with a 13.9 scoring margin after the 13-point win over WVU and three-point loss to KU and are fourth in the Big 12 by shooting 47.0 percent offensively. Tech shot 46.6 percent against Kansas. Tech is currently 4-3 against teams who were ranked at the time of play with wins over No. 1 Baylor, No. 6 Kansas, No. 13 Tennessee and No. 15 Iowa State. The losses came to Gonzaga in the Jerry Colangelo Classic on Dec. 18 in Arizona and in the Big 12 opener against Iowa State on Jan. 5 in Ames, Iowa. It is the first time in program history with four top-15 wins in a regular season. Along with the polls, Tech comes into Saturday's matchup against MSU at No. 13 in the Kenpom.com ratings at No. 15 in the NCAA NET Rankings. The Red Raiders are currently fourth in the Kenpom.com defensive efficiency rating behind LSU, VCU and San Diego State in the category. Tech was not in the AP Top 25 in the preseason or for the first five weeks before entering at No. 25 on Dec. 13 after topping Tennessee in the Jimmy V Classic. The Red Raiders were at No. 25 for four straight polls before moving up to No. 19 last week after their win over then-No. 6 Kansas in the first of two straight top-10 wins.
MISSISSIPPI STATE REPORT
The Bulldogs come into Lubbock with a 13-6 overall record after an 82-74 overtime loss at Kentucky on Tuesday night after a 78-60 win over Ole Miss last Saturday. MSU is averaging 75.4 points per game and is limiting opponents to 66.2 for the season. Iverson Molinar leads the Bulldogs with 18.4 points per game and with 81 assists. Brooks Garrison is adding 11.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, while Shakeel Moore is at 11.1 ppg. to give MSU four players in double figures. Molinar is coming off scoring 30 points against Kentucky where he was 13-for-21 from the field in a game where the team shot 42.9 percent from the field. Along with their win over Ole Miss, the Bulldogs have SEC wins over Arkansas, Georgia and Alabama.
Mississippi State is second in the SEC with a 8.2 rebounding margin advantage and by forcing 11.9 turnovers per game after Kentucky had 17 turnovers. The Bulldogs will host South Carolina on Tuesday in their next game.
2022 Big 12/SEC Challenge – Saturday, January 29
Baylor at Alabama
Missouri at Iowa State
Kentucky at Kansas
Kansas State at Ole Miss
Oklahoma at Auburn
Oklahoma State at Florida
LSU at TCU
Tennessee at Texas
Mississippi State at Texas Tech
West Virginia at Arkansas
UP NEXT: Texas Tech will host Texas at 8 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN2) in the first matchup of the season between the two programs. The Red Raiders went 2-0 against the Longhorns in the regular season last year. Tech has won seven of the last 10 games in the series and is 35-29 at home against UT.
